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配额 (pèi é) — quota

Definition

Formal term for an assigned 'quota' — a fixed amount, limit, or share set by an authority. Common in business, trade, and policy contexts (e.g., 进口配额).

noun
quota

Examples

  • 配额。
    Zhè ge yuè de xiāo shòu pèi é yǐ jīng yòng wán le.
    This month's sales quota has been used up.
  • 配额。
    Gōng sī gěi měi gè bù mén fēn pèi le bù tóng de pèi é.
    The company assigned different quotas to each department.
  • 配额。
    Wǒ men xū yào tí gāo shēng chǎn pèi é lái mǎn zú xū qiú.
    We need to increase the production quota to meet demand.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

配pèiallocated
额éamount

配额 joins 配, meaning allocated, with 额, meaning an amount, so it denotes a fixed amount.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 酉酉yǒualcohol vessel
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

配 is formed by putting 酉, an alcohol vessel, next to 卩, a kneeling person. The reference gives these two parts, but not the reason they combine.

Open 配 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 額; 额 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
客
客kè額é
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 額 combines 頁 (head), which points to the meaning, with 客, which gives the sound. The simplified 额 is a later abbreviation.

Open 额 →
Appears in
Economy & Trade

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